Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe
Happy Monday everyone! I need to admit that sometimes Mondays could be pretty brutal, especially when you have to work knowing that your weekend is so far away. However, this Monday is not like that. It’s actually happy. The secret is very simple – good food + good friend = wonderful day. Today I’ve had one of the most amazing pizzas I’ve ever tried. No kidding. If you’re in Bay Area, go to Terún and try yourself. The chef is a wizard; he found a secret for a perfect pizza dough. It’s so thin, soft, and delicious I could eat it without any toppings. I begged him to give me the recipe, but no luck. Maybe one day he’ll change his mind =) Anyway, his delicious pizza made my day, and inspired to share my Basic Tomato Sauce recipe. Just because today I’m in the mood for pizza =)
This tomato sauce will be excellent on pizza, and pasta, or whatever you want. Very simple and straight forward, a great addition to your recipe box. The only thing you need to remember is that tomatoes play the main part in this sauce, and the better tomatoes you find, the richer the taste will be. You can’t fake it in this recipe.
I used our homemade tomatoes, they are soooo good I can’t even describe! But if you don’t have such luxury, just go to your local farmer’s market, I’m sure you’ll find something decent there. Also, use fresh, aromatic basil, not the dried one. You’ll taste the difference!
Ingredients
- ripe organic tomatoes - 1 1/2 lb,
- extra virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
- basil - 1 small bunch
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- sugar - 3/4 teaspoon, or to taste
- red wine vinegar - 1 teaspoon
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Make a small X shape cut in the bottom of each tomato and plunge into the boiling water until the skins are slightly loosened, about 40 seconds.
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water for 1 minute.
- Peel the tomatoes with a paring knife, then cut into small cubes, reserving all the juice.
- Place a medium non-stick saucepan on the heat and pour in the olive oil.
- Add the garlic, stir with a wooden spoon. Once the garlic begins to colour lightly, add the basil and the tomatoes, along with the juice.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar, and sugar to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil.
- Simmer on a low flame, stirring often for at least 20 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened to a desired consistency.
- Discard the basil and transfer the sauce to a blander. Blend until smooth.
- Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator, up to 1 week.
